Drill-coupling.



M. HARDSOCG. DRILL coUHING.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

APPLIGATIQI FILED HAY 8, 1908.

MRS N m Ib wfraea; o g @XM1 f @M f MARTIN HARDSOCG, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA.

DBILL-COUPLING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

1908. Serial No. 431,606.

Patented J an. 3, 1911.

Application filed May 8,

medium under pressure is statlonary, ory

has a fixed relation.

The object of the present invention is to construct a coupling, betweenthe fixed connection for a medium under pressure and the revoluble drillrod and drills,`whioh will be effective and reliable in operation, andwhich will not leak or vent the medium under pressure.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationsof parts herev inafter described and claimed.

In the drawin s Fi re 1 is a sectional elevatlon, with t e dril rodpartly in section and partly in elevation, and broken 0H,

Fig. 2 a cross section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, o

oking in the direction of the arrow;l

Fi 3 a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, ooking in the direction ofthe arrow; and Fig{. 4 a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1s, loo ingin the direction of the arrow.

The couplin of the present invention has a main shel or casing 1,preferably of a cylindrical form in cross section. The shell or casing,at its rear end, has an interior 2, into which is entered the head of aplug 3 having an interior screw thread, which plug has a rim or iange 4,

the face of which abuts against the end face of the shell or casing 1,when the plug is threaded into the shell or casing, making a tight jointagainst leakage for a medium underv pressure. The lug has a neck 5rearwardly extending rom the center and terminating 1n a stem 6 havingan exterior vscrew thread for the attachment of a supply pipe or tube,not shown, for the medium under pressure, and the medium under pressureis free to flow through a passage 7 in the plug, neck and stem to enterthe cham-- ber 8 of the main'shell or casing.

A head 9 is located within the chamber 8 of the main shell or casing 1,and has extending forwardly therefrom a tubular neck 10, with alongitudinal passage 11 and `termi- ,je'cted, which ring circular grooveor ofl anti-friction nating at its forward end in a nipple 12,`

having an exterior screw thread for the attachment of the drill rod ortube. The tubular neck 10 passes through a bearing ring 13 held in theshell or casing, which ring is fitted close enough to the side walls ofthe shell to have the necessary frictional enga ement therewith toprevent its turning un er the ordina-ry strain to which it will besubhas, in its face, a semirecess 14: forming onehalf of a ball race,the other half of which is formed by a semicircular recess 15 in theface of the head 9, so as to furnish a ball race for a plurality ofanti-friction balls 16 between the head 9 and the rino' 13, so that thehead 9 and the tubular neck 10 can revolvo freely within the chamber ofthe main shell or casing.

A packing ring 17 of any suitable material encircles the tubular neck 10Vin advance of and abutting against the face of the rin 13, anda ring 18encircles the tubularnec 10 and abuts against the packing ring 17, whenthe parts are assembled. A ring or tubular plug 19 is entered intothe'forward end'of the main shell or casing, and has an annular flangeor rim 20 which, when the parts are together, abuts against the end faceof the main shell orA casing, as shown in Fig. 1. The tubular plug 19has an interior screw thread, ywhich threads onto a screw thread aroundthe exterior of the tubular neck 10, y

connecting the plug and the neck one with the other. -The rear end faceof the tubular plug 19 has therein a semi-circular recess 21, formingone-half of a ball race, and the other half of the ball race is formedin the front face of the ring 18 by a semi-circular recess22, the tworecesses 21 and 22 constituting a ball race forreceiving-a pluralityballs 23 by which, in connection with the anti-friction balls 16, thehead and the tubular neck, with the tubular plug 19, are free to revolvewithin the shell or casing 1 of the coupling.

The front face of the flange 20, adjacent to the tubular neck 10, hastherein a recess or groove 24, which receives ak flat ring 25 having atooth or lug 26, which enters a groove 27 formed in the threaded portionof the tubular neck, as shown in Fig. 1, the tooth serving as a key toprevent rotative movement of the plu 19 about the neck 1() after theparts have een assembled. A. lock or jam nut 28 is threaded onto thethreaded portion of the tubular neck 10, and serves to hold the tubularplug 1t) against unscrcwing in the operation of the drill. A ring orband 29 cncircles the tubular neck 10 in advance of the lock or jam nut28, and abuts against the shoulder formed by the threaded portion of thetubular neck, as shown in Fig. 1. This ring or band 29 has, on one side,a hole 31 which can be brought into communication with a .hole 32 in thetubular neck 10, for permitting oil to flow iAhrough the interiorpassage in the drill shank and oil the hammer and analogous partsoperating at the terminus of the shank; and the neck or band v29 is heldin place by a set screw 33, the stem of which passes through a slot 34in the ring or band and enters the wall of the tubular neck, as shown inFig. el, so that the ring or band can be turned to open communicationbetween the oil holes 31 and 32, or close communication between suchholes, when the holes are not required for oiling purposes. The oil willtlow in the same direction as the fluid through the stem; hence, thefluid will assist in carrying the oil to the hammer and other parts, notshown, carried on the end of the stem of the drill rod.

The drill rod, in the construction shown, is a tubular rod having a wallorbody 35 and a spiral flange or wing 36, encircling the center or body35, with a spiral channel or passage 37 between the spiral flange orwing; and the rod has a passage 3S, which is in communication with thepassage 11 of the coupling neck and head, so that a medium underpressure can be forced through the tubular drill rod for use. It is tobe understood that the coupling can be used with a solid drill rodinstead of a tubular drill rod.

The parts are assembled by enteringthe head 9 and the tubular neck 10into the chamber 8 of the main shell or casing, from the opposite end tothat in which the plug l is entered and then entering the balls 16 intothe half race l5, after which the collar 13 is entered into position tocomplete the ball race; and the packing ring 17 and ring 18 are thenentered into posit-ion within the main shell or casing 1 and around thetubular neck 10 of the coupling. The balls 23 are then entered into thehalf race 22, and t-he tubular head or gland 19 is threaded onto thetubular neck 10, completing the ball race for the balls 23. The fiatring 25 is entered into the recess 24,-with the lip or tooth 26 engagedwith the slot 27, after which the lock or jam nut 28 is threaded intoplace, completing the assembling of the coupling. The oiling ring orband 29 is slipped into place and secured by the screw 33 or otherwise,so as to be free to turn.

In use the drill rod is connected with the tubular neck 10 byscrew-threading the two together, or otherwise, so that the tubularneck, and the parts having a fixed relation therewith, can be revolvedto revolve the drill rod. The coupling, if used with a mediinn underpressure` is eifectually packed against the venting of pressure by thepacking ring 17 and by the plug or head 3, to the threaded stem of whichthe tube or pipe for supplying pressure is attached. The packing ringand the race rings do not 1'e volve, but remain stationary, and theantifriction balls 16 and 23 furnish a ball bearing for the head 9 andtubular neck 10 of the coupling, by which a free revolving of the headand tubular neck is obtained. The coupling, as a whole, enables a tubefor supplying a medium under pressure and a drill rod to be connectedtogether in such manner as to effectively prevent venting of thepressure and at the same time permit the drill rod to be revolved; andthe oiling band or ring enables the bearing for the tubular neck and itshead to be lubricated without the venting of' the medium under pressure.

That I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a drill coupling, the combination of a main easing, a hollow plug,having a passage therethrough, secured into and closing one end ot thecasing, a tubular neck extending into the casing and adapted to revolvetherein, said neck having on one end a head adapted to lie and revolvewithin said casing, a plug attached to the neck and entered into theother end of the casing, and adapted to revolve within the casing, ringsentered between the plug and head and loosely surrounding the sleeve,said rings being held from rotation within the casing by frictionalcontact with the walls of the casing, roller bearings inserted betweenone of the rings and the head and between the other ring and the plug,and forming antifrictional surfaces on which the head and plug travelwhen the neck is rotated, and a drill shank connected to the other endof the neck, substantially as described.

2. In a drill coupling, the combination of a main casing, a plug'secured into and closing one end of the casing, said plug having apassage therethrough for the admission of fluid under pressure to thecasing, a tubular neck extending into the easing and adapted to revolvetherein, and having on one end a head adapted to lie and revolve withinsaid casing, a plug attached to said neck and entered into the other endof the casing, and adapted to revolve within said easing, and ringsinterposed between the plug and the head and loosely surrounding theneck, said rings being held from movement within said casing byfrietional contact with the walls of the casing and serving to preventlateral movement of the neck and its parts within the casing,substantially as described.

3. In a drill coupling, the combination of a main casing, a hollow plug,having a passage therethrough, secured into and closmg one end ofthecasing, a tubular neck extending into the. casing and adapted to revolvetherein, said neck having ofi-one end a head adapted to lie and revolvewithin said rcasing, a plug attached to the neclLand entered into theother end of the casing, and adapted totrevolve within the casing, ringsentered between the plug and h'ead and loosely surrounding the sleeve, aring of packing ma'- terial interposed between said rings, said ringsbeing held from rotation within the casing by frictional contact withthe walls of the casing, roller bearings insertedbetween one of therings and the head and between the `other ring and the plug, and forminganti-frictional surfaces on which the head and plug travel when the neckis rotated, and a drill shank connected to the other end of the neck,substantially as described.

4C. In a drill coupling, the combination of a inain casing, a plugsecured into and inclosed in one end of the casing, said plug having apassagetherethrough for the admission ot' fluid under pressure to thecasing, a tubular neck extending into the casing and adapted to revolvetherein, and having on one end a head adapted to lie and revolve withinsaid casing, aplug attached to said neck and entered into the other endof the casing, and adapted to revolve within said casing, ringsinterposed between the plug and the head and loosely7 surrounding theneck, and a ring of packing material interposed between said rings, saidrings being held from movement within said casing by frictional contactwith the walls of the casing andserving to prevent lat-eral movement ofthe neck and its parts/within the casing, substantially as described. i

5. In a drill coupling, the combination of a main casing,"a hollow plug,having a passage therethrough, secured into` and closing one-end-of thecasing, aftubular neck extending into the casing and adapted to revolvetherein, said neck having on one side a head adapted to lie and revolvewithin said casing, a plug attached to the neck and entered into theother end of the casing, and adapted to revolve within the casing, alocking ring entered into a recess in the face of the plug, said lockingring being provided withl a tooth adapted to enter a groove in the outerface of the -neck and preventing loosening ofthe plug from ltheneckduring the rotation of the neck, rings entered between the plug andthe head and loosely surrounding the sleeve, said rings being held fromrotation within the casing by frictionall contact with the walls of thecasing, roller bearings inserted between one of the rings and the headand ,between thee other ring and the plug, and forminganti-frictionalsurfacesl on which the head and plug travel when the neckis rotated, and aA drill shank connected to the other end of the neck,substantially as described.

6, In a drill coupling, the combination of a' main casing, a plugsecured into and inclosed in one end of the casing, said plug.

having a passage therethrough for the admission of fluid under pressureto the cas ing, a tubular neck extending into the casing and adapted torevolve therein, and having on one endv a head adapted to lie andrevolve within said casing,a plug attached to said neck and entered intotlie other end of the casing, and adapted to revolve within said casing,a locking rinor entered into a recess in the face of the plug, saidlocking ring being provided with a tooth adapted to enter a groove inthe outer face of the neck and preventing 'loosening of the plug fromthe neck during the rotation of the neck, and rings interposed betweenlthe plug and the head and loosely surrounding the' 4 neck, said ringsbeing held from 4movement within said casingby frictional contact withthe walls of the casing and serving'to prevent lateral movement of theneck and its parts within the casing, substantially as described.

7 In a drill coupling, thecombination of a main casing, a hollow plug,having a passage therethrough, secured into and closing one end ofthecasing, a tubular neck ex tending into the casing and adapted torevolve therein, said neck having on one end a head adapted to lie andrevolve within said casing, a lplug attached to theneck and en-Yt'ere'd'into the other end of the casing, and

adapted to revolve within the casing, rings entered between the plug andhead and loosely surrounding the sleeve, said rings being held fromrotation within the casing by frictional contact with ythe walls of thecasing, roller bearings inserted between one of the rings and the headand between the other ring and the plug, and forming antifrictionalsurfaces on which the head and plug travel when the neck is rotated, adrill o shank connected to the other end of the neck, said neck having ahole therein to permit oil to enter the interior of the neck and fiowdownward therein, to oil the drilling mechanism attached to the lowerend of the drill rod, and means for closing said opening, substantiallyas described.

' 8. In'a drill coupling, the combination of a main casing, a plugsecured into and inclosed in onefend of thecasing, said plug having apassage therethrough for the admission of fluid under pressure to thecasing, a tubular neck extending into the casing 'and adapted to revolvetherein, and having on one end a head adapted to lie and revolve wlthinsaidcasing, a plug attached.

to said neck and entered into the othel` end the interior of the neckand [low 'downward vof the casing, :1nd adapted to revolve Withtherein,to oil the drilling mechanism utin said casing, rings interposed betweenthe tuched i'o the lower end of the drill rod, and plug und the head andloosely surrounding means for closingsnid opening, substantially 5 theneck, said rings being,r held from moveas described.

ment within said casing by frictional conpact With the Walls of thecasing and serving to prevent lateral movement of the neck Witnesses:

M ARTIN HARDSOCG.

and its parts Within the casino' said neck \V.A.W01ni,

a: 10 having a, hole therein to permn; 011 to enter ALTA GRAY.

